Path of the Forbidden
by Yato
Summary: One choice decides your friends. One choice defines your beliefs. One choice determines your loyalties—forever. One Choice can transform you. Frustrated, the brunet wiped the blood from his ear and stomped over to his instructor. "Are you trying to prove that you're better than him?" The skylark then leaned in and whispered, "I don't like sharing. You're mine and no one else's."
1. Chapter 1

**In the world of Cielo, ****society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a certain virtue. At the age of 16, teens are required to take an Aptitude test and the following day must choose what faction they will devote their lives to. Tsunayoshi Sawada is confirmed to be divergent, a trait that is rare and dangerous to have. He must keep this a secret at all costs. In his new home no one is above taking the life of another.**

**But things start to crumble once he crosses paths with the mysterious Hibari Kyoya.**

**"Fear doesn't shut you down. It wakes you up."**

* * *

One choice

Decides your friends

One choice

Defines your beliefs

One choice

Determines your loyalties— forever.

One Choice can _** m**_ you.

The day had finally arrived, the very thought of it haunted his mind ever since he was a child. He took a step forward, locks of sienna hair bouncing to the rhythm of his steps. With widened hazel eyes, the brunet glanced back but quickly snatched his attention away from the sight that met him. The warm smiles and wide grins filled his heart with agony. Was he truly going to abandon them?

Was he going to abandon his own faction?

His own home?

Five cauldrons surrounded him. Brought up and raised in the Abnegation faction one would think he would have no problem choosing the path he would walk for the rest of his days. He was selfless and put others before himself but that was not all to the boy's personality. Honesty, bravery and serenity were infused within him.

The test claimed he was qualified for various factions. Abnegation, Candor, Amity, and Dauntless. Gritting his teeth, the brunet pressed his palm harshly against the steel blade in his hand. He raised his hand, a trail of blood spiraling down and wrapping around his wrist, droplets falling to the floor, forming a small crimson puddle.

_**Divergent**_

The mere thought of the word caused him to quake with trepidation; it felt as if an infection coursed through his veins, devouring him from the inside. Taking several hesitant steps forward, he placed forth his hand.

The room was engulfed in silence as everyone watched the brunet's hand hover above the Abnegation bowl. His fingers began to loosen in order to release his blood and decide his fate but he did the unexpected. Gasps erupted in the tense air as the brunet twisted around and released his blood into a black cauldron which reeked of danger. Dauntless.

"**Tsunayoshi, you traitor."**

The gray hooded cluster of individuals spat unforgiving remarks but the brunet dare not look his former faction in the eye. What was he thinking? Choosing Dauntless was probably a mistake he was going to regret. Tsuna dragged his gaze and set them upon his new brethren. Dark chuckling filled his ears as he was guided towards his new comrades.

Most of them towered above him so all he could see were black hooded figures and hunched shoulders. Tsuna let out an unsettling sigh as he watched others choose their destiny. The brunet watched quietly as the last person selected their home faction which marked the end of the ceremony.

Loud shouting rung in his ears, causing him to go deaf for half a minute. Everything was in slow motion as the rest of the dauntless initiates dashed across the room and up the staircase. Tsuna ran with them, his breathing hitched and uneven, and lungs pleading for air. He felt alive. Those in Abnegation were not allowed to perform activities for their own pleasure so this was a new experience for Tsuna.

But his legs slowly came to a halt and oncoming initiates shoved past him. Abnegation would be the last to go, he knew that. _This is probably the last time I'll get to see them. _Peeking over his shoulder, he caught a glimpse of his parents. Smiles.

He began running again, tears threatening to fall and dampen his gray clothing. He could still turn back, they would make an exception! Despite the various thoughts floating around in his head, Tsuna did not turn back. Instead he made his way up the staircase and through the exit.

Roars filled his ears. He witnessed the initiates pumping their fists as a train approached. A train, that didn't seem so bad, did it? Tsuna's eyes widened at the sight of it.

"They don't expect us to hop onto those things, do they?" A spikey haired teen with tanned skin asked as a wide grin spread onto his face. He stood right next to Tsuna so the brunet supposed that the other was addressing him. There was only one problem with these trains. They never stop.

"They sorta do…" Tsuna muttered, eyes glued to the floor. "If you don't you'll become factionless."

"Leaves me no choice then." And with that the upbeat boy dashed before jumping onto the fast paced cart. Someone helped pull him into the cart, he had silver hair and aquamarine eyes.

"Che. Be more careful next time, idiot!"

"Thanks Gokudera." The cheerful teen laughed before calling out to Tsuna, "Hey Stiff, hurry up or you'll get left behind." He extended his hand for Tsuna to grab onto. Stiff was a term that referred to those in the Abnegation faction, though Tsuna wasn't too fond of it. Nevertheless, he started off with a jog and within a couple of seconds he was sprinting. He leaped and gripped the helpful hand and was hoisted onto the train. "I'm Yamamoto."

"Thank you, I'm Tsunayoshi." The brunet bowed his head as a sign of respect. Yamamoto flashed him another smile before a look of curiosity took over his features. "Where are we headed to now."

"Dauntless headquarters. Where else?" Tsuna's eyes wandered over to Gokudera, the boy was clad in light blue garments. He saw both of them in school from time to time but never actually interacted with the two.

"Where's that?"

"How should I know?"

"Didn't you memorize a map of the city for fun once? No wonder you don't wanna stay in the Erudite faction anymore."

"Shut up!"

Tsuna watched their exchange with amusement. He never really had any friends, not ever since his older brother left and transferred to another faction. Biting on his bottom lip, Tsuna tried to repress the memories. "They're jumping off!" An initiate screams with a slight tremble in his voice.

"At this pace a lot of the transfers are going to die _before_ they get initiated." Gokudera sighed before launching himself off of the train and rolling onto the roof.

"He sure is something for a former Erudite huh?" Yamamoto glanced back at Tsuna only to see him cowering in the corner. Yamamoto sauntered over and heaved him up, intertwining their fingers. "We can do it together." Tsuna stared at him with bewildered eyes but had no time to retort seeing as how he was dragged off of the cart. He wanted to scream but the others would look at him as a weakling. Before they knew it, they collided with the ground as gravel scrapped against their cheeks. Pouting, Tsuna rubbed his face while Yamamoto helped him up.

"My name is Reborn and I'm one of the leaders of your new faction." A man clad in a black suit and fedora stands on the opposite side of the roof, on the very ledge. Several stories below us is the entrance to our compound. If you can't muster the will to jump off, you don't belong here. Our transfers have the privilege of going first." At the sound of his voice, the dauntless born initiates splits in half, creating a pathway for the new blood.

Tsuna took a step forward; everyone's eyes watched him as he walked towards the gaping hole in the roof. He knew some of the initiates if not most, were staring at him like a piece of meat. Even though he was scared he had to prove to them he could survive. There was no backing out now.

Reborn smirked at the sight of Tsuna, _"So this is Iemitsu's son." _ Tsuna stared into the pit, worry swimming in his eyes. He breathed in before tilting forward. No ground was beneath him. The wind beckons and howls as the fabric of his clothing flaps and whips against his body. Suddenly, a warm, weird feeling spreads throughout his stomach. What was awaiting him at the bottom? Water? Cushions? Perhaps death.

The wind is knocked out of him, he hit something hard. His hands clasped onto thick rope tied in knots. It was a net. An outstretched hand reaches out to the brunet and Tsuna gladly takes it. As he stands to his feet, he stumbles and nearly falls but someone caught him in the nick of time. It was him.

He had a set of beautiful clear gray eyes but they seemed clouded with something Tsuna couldn't put his finger on. His raven hair fell perfectly onto his well sculpted face. His pale complexion made him seem unreal "Next time try not to fall off the edge and die." The hairs on the back of Tsuna's neck rose at the sound of his husky voice.

"A Stiff? That's pretty extreme, ain't it Hibari? We don't get many transfers from Abnegation."

"He came to us for a reason." Hibari seethed, he didn't appreciate it when people called him by his real name. "What's your name?"

Tsuna pondered upon this for a few seconds. A new faction meant a new beginning. A smile tugged at his lips as he said "Tsuna."

"First jumper! Tsuna!" A crowd materializes from the darkness as the brunet's eyes adjust. They cheer and pump their fists, and then another person drops into the net. His excited screams follow him down. Yamamoto. Everyone laughs, but they follow their laughter with more cheering. Hibari gives Tsuna a curious look before muttering, "Welcome to Dauntless."

* * *

_**A/N**_

_Edit: I have found canon characters to fill the roles that were once empty! _

_Moving on these are the different types of factions with a concise description._

_Abnegation-The selfless_

_Erudite- The intelligent_

_Amity- The peaceful_

_Candor- The truthful_

_Dauntless- The fearless_

_THIS STORY IS BASED ON THE YA NOVEL DIVERGENT SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE SETTING OR FACTIONS FEEL FREE TO LOOK IT UP. Or you could wait to figure it out as I go along with this story since there may be differences._

_Ciao Ciao _


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The rest of the initiates came falling down one after another, their screams descending down with them. Smiles adorned the recruit's faces seeing as how they were relieved their feet were planted firmly on solid ground once more. After everyone had safely made it down Ryohei and Hibari started to trudge along in the dimly lit cavern, walking down a tapered pathway.

Lamps clung onto the walls but there were only a few positioned between lengthy walking distances. Tsuna's eyebrows scrunched together as he scrutinized the outline of the ground. The edges lacked barricades, if someone were to tip off of the edge they would surely plummet to their death. He strained his eyes when the light began to dim in between intervals to make sure that would not be the case with him.

The two Dauntless members come to a halt and faced the crowd of inductees. Noting how Ryohei and Hibari differed from each other, Tsuna hoped he wouldn't be stuck with the raven haired male who was currently wearing a scowl. Ryohei gave off a much friendlier vibe. "All Dauntless born initiates come with me." Ryohei announced with a wide grin spreading across his face. "The transfers will be receiving a tour."

A pout tugged at the brunet's lips. Just what sort of luck did he have? The Dauntless born initiates tagged along behind Ryohei and disappeared into the obscurities of the cavern. Only eleven individuals remained once Ryohei's group had completely vanished, Hibari and ten faction transfers.

_Only ten? I-I'm the only Abnegation transfer? _Tsuna shuffled uncomfortably between Yamamoto and Gokudera. Accidentally brushing against the former Erudite, Tsuna received an icy glare from the intimidating boy. Factions didn't exactly get along. Tension pitted the Erudite and Abnegation against each other. Tsuna simply increased the distance between him and Gokudera, figuring it was for the best.

"I will be your instructor for the next few weeks. My name is," Hibari paused momentarily, his eyes flickering with unsteadiness for only a second. "Cloud." He grimaced at the strange looks the others were giving him. This was honestly the last thing he wanted to do. At least the group wasn't so large but they could have given the job to someone else. He hated crowds.

It was at this moment Hibari decided to take a good look at the transfers. One stood out like a sore thumb. Tsuna. It was rare for one from Abnegation to transfer into Dauntless around here. He looked a bit frightened but that was none of Hibari's concern at the moment. Cold, steel, eyes moved from the brunet and landed on a ginger with a bandage placed on his nose and cheek.

_Moving on_. Hibari narrowed his eyes at the sight of familiar pineapple hair. Towards the back of the group, a girl stood timidly with a black patch draped over her right eye. He reminded her of _**him**_. Hibari's observation was cut short due to a snarky comment one of the transfers made.

"Cloud? That's an odd name. I doubt that's what your mother named you." Tsuna's eyes bulged out of its sockets the moment those words reached his ears. The brunet glanced to the side; his eyes fell upon a petite girl with cerulean hair. She was clad in black and white, she was formerly a Candor. They always told the truth no matter what, which wasn't good in some situations.

Narrowing his eyes at the female, Hibari asked, "What's your name?" His was voice heavy with disdain. He approached the brutally honest girl and towered over her.

Azure eyes stared into frigid gray irises. "Bluebell."

"If I wanted to deal with smart mouths I would have joined the Candor faction." Hibari leaned in, stopping only when the gap between them was merely a few inches, "It'd be best for you to keep your mouth shut." Bluebell simply stared back with widened eyes before letting out a shaky breath and nodding. "That goes for all of you." He backed away and sauntered over to a set of large double doors, pushing them open, he motioned for the initiates to follow him inside.

Everyone's mouths opened in awe at the sight with the exception of Hibari. "This is the Pit." One could describe it as an underground grotto and a very large one at that. Uneven, jagged rock walls rose and ascended to the top. Carved into the walls were places for food, belongings and other items. There were no barriers to prevent people from falling off the edge in here either. Spiraling to the top were stony platforms. Tsuna observed the bustling atmosphere that consisted of individuals dressed in black going from place to place.

The raven haired male led the initiates to the right side of the Pit, which was unusually dark. An iron railing obstructed anyone from easily tipping over. Roaring water beats against their ear drums. They all look over the side and see a sharp drop, several stories below water crashes against rocks "This chasm represents the line between bravery and idiocy. Pulling a stunt such as jumping off of here will end your life."

The group followed Hibari across the Pit and through a gaping hole in the wall. Tables and silverware ornamented the room. The rest of the Dauntless seemed to have settled down in here. Tsuna searched for an empty table and found one in the far corner. Some of the transfers followed him.

Somehow the poor brunet found himself sitting next to Hibari, who would not stop staring at him. This wasn't the good type of staring either; this was the "Why Are You Sitting Next To Me Look?", at least that's how Tsuna was interpreting it. On the bright side, Yamamoto ended up sitting to the right of the Abnegation transfer.

Slices of meat placed in between thick rolls of bread laid on a platter in the center of the table. Gazing upon the unfamiliar food with curiosity, Tsuna made no move to partake of it. "It's beef." The brunet was surprised to hear Hibari's voice.

"You've never had burgers before?" Yamamoto took a bite out of his portion.

"No, is that strange?" Tsuna frowned before picking up on for himself.

"…Yea." Yamamoto grinned before passing Tsuna a bowl of dark brown sauce, "Put this on it."

Just as Tsuna was about to take his first mighty, although hesitant bite into a burger the doors to the dining hall creaked open and a young man walked through. The cafeteria was submerged in silence as he strolled down the aisle. Locks of long purple hair swayed back and forth in a low ponytail and mismatched eyes wandered along the room. He wore a black trench coat and leather gloves occupied his hands. His eyes were cold, frigid, unfeeling.

"W-who's that?" Tsuna mumbled softly, his eyes flickered over to Hibari.

"A Dauntless leader." Hibari glares daggers at the male ushering about the room. "His name is Mukuro." Tsuna's eyes followed the dangerous man until he suddenly looked over in the brunet's direction. Tsuna immediately directed his gaze toward his burger but he heard the other's footsteps grow louder.

Mukuro plopped down into a seat opposite of Hibari, but the skylark did not make eye contact with him and continued eating his food. "Come on Cloud, that's no way to treat a fellow faction member."

"I don't like you, stop talking to me." Came Hibari's childish reply. Tsuna nearly choked as he struggled to swallow a piece of bread lodged in his throat. Unfortunately, this attracted Mukuro's attention .

"Ooh an Abnegation transfer." Mukuro whistled as his eyes shifted from Hibari to Tsuna. "Let's see how long you'll last." A low chuckle escaped his lips while his mismatched eyes traveled along the brunet's figure.

With his gaze glued to the table consisting of various meals, Tsuna fails to look Mukuro in the eye and instead focuses his attention on Hibari. "What have you been up to?" The skylark shrugs, not at all interested in what the other had to say. "Reborn wants to offer you-"

"I'm satisfied with my current position. Tell him that."

"Not interested?"

"Haven't been ever since initiation two years ago." Hibari replied, glancing at Mukuro a bit annoyed. A swift flash of anger swept overcame Mukuro's features. Tsuna looked at Hibari and then Mukuro, switching back and forth between the two.

_Why is he mad? _The brunet caught a glimpse of Hibari's smirk, the corners of his mouth were barely upturned but Tsuna managed to notice nonetheless.

"I'll be sure to tell him that." And with that Mukuro excused himself from the table after slapping Hibari on the back, causing the raven haired boy to wince slightly.

"Are you guys friends?"

"We came from the same initiate class. He transferred from Amity."

Tsuna's curiosity ate away at him, making him forget that this instructor was not the most approachable person. "Did you transfer too?"

"I wouldn't expect you to ask so many questions." Hibari shot Tsuna a glare before muttering, "Thought I only had to worry about the Candor transfers doing that." Tsuna refused to shrink away from Hibari's glare. A knot formed in his stomach in the presence of Mukuro but there was something different about Hibari even though they were both pretty scary. At least that's what his conscious kept telling him.

Or maybe it had to do more with the fact that upsetting one of the Dauntless leaders was the last thing he wished to do. After all, Hibari didn't hold a high position. Hibari reminded Tsuna of all the bullying he went through for just about all his life. He was never allowed to stand up to them due to him being in Abnegation but now that he was in Dauntless he could say whatever he desired. Well, as long as he wouldn't get beaten up over it.

"Maybe it's because you give off a welcoming vibe," Tsuna began. "You know like a nest of needles."

Hibari's eyes redirected themselves to Tsuna once again. The same nonchalant expression gripped his face as he watched the brunet quietly. Tsuna gulped as he struggled to restrain from looking elsewhere. The skylark said, "Herbivore, be careful."

Hibari reluctantly left his seat due to the nonstop calling of his name from Ryohei. "Herbivore? Why'd he call me that?" Tsuna slumped in his seat, a bit tired.

"Maybe it's 'cause you've never eaten meat or seen it." Yamamoto said and stifled his laughter while waving his half eaten burger in the brunet' face.

Tsuna raised an eyebrow at Yamamoto and smiled before biting into his own burger. "Well now I'm an Omnivore."

After dinner all of the inductees were led down a series of faintly lit halls by Mukuro. Tsuna and Yamamoto walked side by side, occasionally sending each other worried glances. "Where do you think he's taking us?" Tsuna mouthed. No one was talking and he didn't want to bring attention to himself. Yamamoto replied with the shaking of his head.

Mukuro finally stopped in front of a well-furnished wooden door, folded his arms and leaned against the sturdy structure. "For those of you who don't already know, I'm Mukuro, one of the five leaders of the Dauntless. We take initiation training very seriously here, so I'm here to oversee most of your training."

Tsuna's stomach started churning; he suddenly feels the need to chuck up those burgers he had for dinner. _Why him of all people? _He frowned while grasping the loose fabric swathed around his torso. _Something's not right._

"There are rules you have to abide by." Mukuro said. "You must be in the training room everyday by eight a.m., training ends at six. There will be a break for lunch in between. After six you're free to do what you like."

_Do what I want? _ Tsuna never got the chance to do what he wanted since he was always looking after others and never thought about himself. _I don't even know what I like to do._

"Unless you're accompanied by a Dauntless you're not allowed to leave the compound." Mukuro then gestured to the door behind him. "You'll be sleeping in this room for the remainder of the initiation process."

"We keep Dauntless born initiates and the transfers separate during stage one, however, your rankings will not be taken into consideration separately-"

"Our rankings?" A short girl steps forward, her eyes a deep blue. She had short olive green hair and a bright orange mark on her cheek. "Why are we ranked?"

A wicked smile ripples through Mukuro' face in the light of the torched lamps, Tsuna can't help but glare at him. There definitely wasn't something right about this guy. Despite having felt a wave of bravery wash over him for giving the Dauntless leader such a defiant look, the glare melted away once Mukuro looked over in Tsuna's direction.

"Your rankings determine the order in which you'll each select a job." He explains. "But only ten initiates will be made members. There are nine Dauntless born initiates and ten of you transfers, meaning nine of you will be cut."

"Cut? What'll happen to us?" Yamamoto queried.

"You'll become factionless…" Tsuna muttered. Regardless of the hushed tone he whispered in, everyone heard him. Tsuna sets his hardened look on Mukuro once again, this time he did not look away. He understood his odds were low. He was the scrawniest of the males and the only abnegation transfer.

"Hmm, what's with that look you're giving me Stiff?" Amusement twirled in Mukuro's irises. "In the dining hall you looked like nothing but a frightened rabbit."

Some would claim being dead is better than having no faction. No fate. No future. Nothing. Tsuna refused to go down that path. He couldn't be factionless. The stimulation tests came back inconclusive. _I'm divergent_.

Mukuro sneered at not receiving a response. "The Stiff is correct."

"But that's not f-fair." The smart-mouthed Candor girl from earlier shouted. "If we knew that then we wouldn't have-"

"Wouldn't have chosen Dauntless? If that's the case you do not belong here. Just leave now if you are afraid of failure. If you are truly Dauntless it should not matter." Mukuro's lips formed a thin line. "You chose us, now we have to choose you."

Tsuna lay on his bed. His new, temporary one. Everyone changed into the Dauntless clothing provided for them but he chose to remain in his dull, gray, Abnegation clothing. Old habits are hard to break.

He was practically **stuck** wearing gray for all of his life up until now. He let out a raspy chuckle. Tense shoulders began to shake and tears stain his cheeks. _I'll be alright. I have Yamamoto and I don't have to clean up after others, I don't have to put others before me. _

No matter how much he tried to cheer himself up the tears did not falter. Visiting Day. It haunted him. He doubted his parents would come in search of him. Even though they were smiling when he had betrayed them. Just like his older brother, Giotto.

Turning towards the wall, Tsuna wiped away his tears. _I can't let them think I'm weak…_ Loud sobbing filled the brunet's ears. Curious, Tsuna flipped and turned away from the wall. He spotted the one who was crying ever so noisily.

It was the boy with that wild red hair and bandaged nose. Tsuna gasped silently, that was the last person he expected to break down. He seemed like one of the toughest out of the group alongside Gokudera.

But there he was, balling his eyes out. _Can't he keep it in like the rest of us? _Tsuna glowered. No one liked the current predicament. _Mom would scold me real bad for thinking something like that. She'd give me that look and... _His cheeks became moist once more at the thought of his mother.

He heard the sobs of the ginger once more and reached out to touch him, only several inches remained between them. Tsuna recoiled harshly and flopped on his side, facing the wall once again. _I don't have to help him._

Chewing softly on his bottom lip, the brunet resisted the urge to cry out. He knows. He's fully aware he can't go back to his family even if he wanted to. He was not fit for Abnegation, he did not belong with his family.

**He was selfish.**

"_Tsunayoshi, you traitor."_

Tsuna flopped over once more, extending a hand towards the sobbing boy, who was currently facing away from him. _He's probably wondering why I'm moving around so much. What's his name again? ...Enma? _Without another second of hesitation, Tsuna brushed his hand through the other's hair. Enma's body went rigid at the contact.

Tsuna apologized immediately, faced the wall and didn't bother to turn back around. The sound of rusty bed springs alerted him of movement. Enma was facing him now, he was aware of that.

"Even though that was sorta awkward," Enma whispered, "thank you."

"No problem?" Tsuna replied but the other did not respond, only silence followed.

"You were crying too right?" Enma breathed, a bit nervous. Tsuna sluggishly rolled onto his other side, facing Enma once more.

"Uh-I um-" Tsuna stumbled on his words. "Yeah…" Enma smiled at the brunet and nodded, he then closed his eyes and rolled onto his side. He didn't want to cause discomfort for Tsuna. A smile graced Tsuna's lips although Enma didn't see it.

At eight in the morning, Tsuna found himself standing in the training room with the initiate transfers. Tired, he let out a yawn. He didn't get much sleep and that wasn't his fault, okay maybe it was but that wasn't the point. He glanced over at Enma who had already been looking at him. Once the ginger caught Tsuna's gaze he found the floor a lot more interesting because that's where he kept his eyes for the next several minutes.

Hibari shoved a gun into Tsuna's palm without sparing him a glance. "Today you'll learn how to shoot a gun. The second thing you'll learn is how to fight." His gray eyes flickered over to Tsuna and Tsuna stared back, boldly.

_He must think I'm weak but I have something he's afraid of._

Interest twinkled in Hibari's eyes.

_Something people will kill me for._

Tsuna watched his instructor smirk.

_I'm Divergent._

_**A/N**_

_**You're probably wondering why Hibari goes by the name Cloud. Everything happens for a reason. I decided to refer to Hibari as Cloud only when characters are calling out to him in dialogue or inner thoughts because it'd be weird to call him Cloud in the narration. You feel me?**_

_**Sorry if you spot any change of tenses. I tend to switch between present and past without being aware of it. **_

_**These are the ages:**_

_**Hibari, Mukuro-18 **_

_**Reborn- 25**_

_**Ryohei-17 **_

_**All Dauntless Initiates (Tsuna, Yamamoto, Gokudera, etc.)-16**_

_Constructive reviews are welcome!_

_Ciao Ciao_


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